Meghalaya governor RS Mooshahary has landed himself into a political controversy following his letter to Assembly speaker Bindo M Lanong directing him to videotape the proceeding of the trust-vote of Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government slated for March 17.
Among other things, Raj Bhavan sources said Mooshahary has asked the Speaker “to submit the ballot papers of the no-confidence vote to him (Governor)”.
Lanong, however, wrote back to the governor pointing out that the Mooshahary’s directives have no “constitutional basis”.
If the governor goes through with this directive, political observers foresee legal implications for the governor.
Leaders of MPA have already expressed concern over the order of the governor to the speaker.
Lanong, when contacted, refused to comment and said, “I don’t want to create any misunderstanding with the governor. He is a good person, but I will go by the constitution”.
MPA, however, charged the governor of being partisan. “The Governor is behaving at the behest of the Opposition Congress,” an MPA legislator, on condition of anonymity said.
On Friday, the governor had expressed reluctance to deliver his traditional address in the Assembly on March 16 in view of the election’s model code of conduct coming into force and of the fact that a trust vote has been fixed for March 17.
Chief Minister Donkupar Roy said that there was no bar for the governor to address the House on the first day of the session.
“It is a constitutional obligation and I strongly feel that the governor should address the House on the opening day of the session,” he said.